Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-14
THURSDAY ..... APRIL a, 1885,
The reop,e's Poverty.


It will be difficult, we fear, to con-
vince the committee OF the foreign
bondholders that the people who have
so prosperous a capital-city as Rich
mond arc really in the vale OF poverty.
But il will be much easier for COM
mission of representatives, of the people
to set forth the facts OF the case in a
convincing manner than it would be
for commission OF wealthy men, Sc
lected from the cities, to do so. In fact,
il seems to be next to impossible for
good many OF our own best citizens
to realize that the people of number
of the counties in this State can hardly
pay their present taxes. These excel
lent gentlemen wonder why the Legis-
lature should be unwilling to settle the
State debt upon almost any terms, ut
terly oblivious of the fact that the mem
bers of that body k,low that their con-
stituents would condemn them for so
doing, and would elect next fall, ashley
did in 1871 and again in 1879, new
Legislature pledged to rip up all such
"hberd legislation"
Remember that the proposed settle
ment, as it it called, cannot at once be-
come real settlement, seeing that the
people will have to pass upon it. 1t is
not as if A and b should agree to APP
point arbitrators to agree upon a settle
ment between them because in this
case the parties agree beforehand that
the arbitrators' settlement shall stand.
Nobody can pledge the State of Vir-
GINA TO stand to and abide by the set
Element soon to be made. The ratifics
ton is to be done by the people, if at
all. Therefore, again, members of the
Legislature are the proper persons to
meet the committee of the creditors.
Dir. RoYA1L evidently appreciates
the actual condition of things Other
wise, he would have been displeased
with the appointment of Mr.. MASSEY
as one of the Virginia commission.
Mr.. RoYALL knows that whilst the
commission might easily have been so
constituted US to have insured q settle
Inent between them and the foreign
committee, such settlement would
have been a delUsion and snare,
promising nothing but third rejection
of terms by the people, and q renewed
agitation of the debt question to last
perhaps for years.
These reflections were suggested to
ms by notice in the Charlotte Gasette
of this week calling for public meet
ing Of the taxpayers of that county on
next court day, 10 devise some method
of Securing at least partial relief from
their PROSTATE financial condition. The
notice declares that the people have in
vain looked to the Legislature for this
relief. We do not know how these
Charlotte taxpayers will either find or
invent a way out of their troubles.
We refer TO this matter merely
as a means of impressing upon the
minds of men vino never felt the pinch
of poverty that it is the taxpayers pay
ing but small sums who are most OPP
pressed by the burthen of taxation, and
that these men all have votes. The
lesson to be learned from these facts
is one that we ought to haye SO learned
in 1871 and in 1879 as not 70 have for
gotten it; but it is evident that too
many of us haze forgotten it, and fool
ishly suppose that because few thou
sand voters are careless as to how the
debt is provided for, therefore all the
$50, 600 taxpayers of this large but i'm
poverished State are OF the same mind.
The condition OF the Virginia people
is Indicated also by the fact that the
General Assembly at its present session
has had TO pass lazy providing that
the several treasurers and collectors of
lakes due the State shall be allowed until
the LIST day Of September, 1877, to
make their final settlements with the
Auditor Of Public accounts OF the
State taxes on real and personal pro-
perry for the year 1886. What does
this action signify except that the peo-
pie are hardly able to pay their pres
ent taxes?
Let us all, therefore, agree upon set
Element which the people in their
poverty will be willing 10 ratify.